Two Newark high schools, Weequahic and West Side, have been disqualified from the 2025 state football playoffs following a bench-clearing brawl during their game on Saturday.
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association cited its “team 3-DQ rule,” which bans teams with three or more player ejections for unsportsmanlike conduct.
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The melee erupted with 6:40 left in the fourth quarter, triggered by a West Side player slamming a Weequahic opponent to the ground. Multiple players left the bench area, escalating the fight, while fans stormed the field and additional altercations broke out in the stands and nearby streets.
Newark police restored order but made no arrests. Weequahic, leading 24–0 at the time, was declared the winner.
The district is cooperating with the investigation and emphasized its zero-tolerance stance on misconduct.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: Bench-clearing brawl leads to disqualification from football playoffs